Fifteen months

Joseph makes us smile every day.  He is a very active little guy who is always busy trying to figure things out - getting on and off little riding toys, opening cabinets, carefully turning board book pages ... and studying how to open the refrigerator.  As soon as he can figure that one out, I think he thinks he's got it made.  In the meantime, his communication skills keep on growing.  His favorite sign and word is "Da!" while touching his forehead with his thumb (sign for Dad).  He always wants to know where Dad is and coming running to the door whenever Mike gets home from work.  Joseph can also sign "grapes," (says "vas" for "uvas"), "please," "girl," "milk," "book," and "water" (says "awa" for "agua" while putting fingers up to his chin).  He's working on the signs for "outside," "cracker," "baby," and "car."  I LOVE how he tries to imitate everything now even if he can't quite get it.  For a little board book called "Where is the Green Sheep?" that title question is the refrain.  Every time I ask it I shrug my shoulders a little bit and hold my hands up.  At the end when we find the green sheep fast asleep, I close my eyes and put my hands next to my face like I'm sleeping on a pillow.  These are not, of course, ASL signs, but Joseph has been imitating them every time we read :)  If I show him how to pour water into a cup at the water table, he will pay close attention and then practice doing the same thing.  He's making progress with a fork already, which seems early to me.  He's a fast learner!  He can also now shake his head (which he does very clearly if he doesn't want someone to hold him or he's rejecting your food offer) and wave bye-bye on cue.

The most effective communication method, however, especially when it comes to his brothers, is a loud screech.  It's the only way he can keep Malcolm from smooching him to death when he's in his car seat or sitting next to him on the couch.  In a possible sign of things to come, though, we have noted a few times where Joseph has screeched in protest ... while Malcolm is innocently sitting off to the side.  Are we being played already?  It's a reminder that you can't jump to conclusions and sometimes even babies appear to want to get their siblings in trouble.  Ha.  Joseph does play animals and hide-and-seek with Michael, and likes to play ball with Malcolm.

Joseph is the master of his little domain around here.  I rearranged some of the toys on one of our shelves so he can reach things more easily, and now he has no trouble selecting exactly what he wants: rubber animal toys (he likes to growl for the tiger and lion), a pop-up toy with five animals (he can push the button for the panda in the middle, and uses the handle to bring this one right to you so you will help him open the others), some race cars (he thinks it's fun to see them go down the slides), books and balls.  Current favorite books are "God Made Wonderful Me," for which he can now point to his hair, nose, eyes, ears and mouth, "Where is the Green Sheep?" and a big book of numbers.

Most days now Joseph skips his morning nursing session, but he still asks for milk when we get home every afternoon and before bedtime, and then once or twice at night.  His molars are starting to come in (one and a half out of four so far) and he's been whimpering at bedtime the last week or so in particular.  One day he'll sleep all the way through the night!  It's hard to resist the little guy doing a happy little laugh and saying "Mama" when I come into the room though :)

On the name front, we all mostly call him Joseph or Joe.  Malcolm is the only one who stretches this in multiple ways.  "Joey-Joe," "Joey-Joey," and "Joey B" are his main favorites.  I continue to find it adorable how his older brothers are so solicitous and sweet to him.  Every afternoon when we get in the car, Malcolm says sweetly, "You want MILK, Joey?  And GRAPES?  You want some UVAS??"  Smooch.